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So mere weeks before the release of DH I somehow have something to say about a storyline in HBP. It's two years late, but I need to pick every bone. I was reading stuff today about strong and weak characters, some of which I disagreed with, and unsurprisingly the Tonks storyline came up. I'm not really taking a position here on whether the story was good or bad for whatever reasons, but what I do think was that
Tonks storyline was useful for several reasons in terms of what JKR needed in the plot:
These last two I think are cool, because they get into Rowling's mysteries (link to a past post that can be skipped), and also a paper I loved at Phoenix Rising about how Rowling uses repetition. Whenever there's a revelation in the books, the elements of it are probably going to have been presented to us already in some other way. In Tonks' case it gives JKR a way to show two things that will be important in other storylines:
Anyway, that's my defense of the Tonks storyline, or at least what I think it's doing there. It's kind of reflecting a lot of minor issues about other storylines, and presenting certain technical things that are important elsewhere.
Tonks storyline was useful for several reasons in terms of what JKR needed in the plot:
It gives Lupin, the last Marauder, a happy ending, which JKR may have wanted to do for its own sake. It gives her another way to keep Sirius talked about through Hermione's false conclusion that Tonks was in love with Sirius. Any way to get Sirius in is good, imo, because I think he'll be coming up again in DH. What it adds to the Fleur vs. The Weasleys storyline. It gives JKR a way to show that the female Weasleys feel about Fleur is obvious. Fleur's negativity is clear in her comments about the radio and the house, but the fact that it's so believable and acceptable that Mrs. Weasley might be trying to set Lupin up with another woman sets up Fleur's anger in the end because although we might have cheered them on (or not) we have seen the Weasleys being unwelcoming and obvious they don't want her in the family. When Fleur accuses them of "'oping" the engagement will end now that Bill is injured, it can't be denied, because they've been 'oping so much it seemed believable that Molly was actively trying to break them up.
These last two I think are cool, because they get into Rowling's mysteries (link to a past post that can be skipped), and also a paper I loved at Phoenix Rising about how Rowling uses repetition. Whenever there's a revelation in the books, the elements of it are probably going to have been presented to us already in some other way. In Tonks' case it gives JKR a way to show two things that will be important in other storylines:
It shows someone losing their powers due to stress. Yeah, it could be unfortunate they're both women and it's for love, but love is after all a big theme in HBP. And Rowling has to some way show the possibility of someone losing their powers. Being a Metamophagus, Tonks is a good candidate for this, because she's the only witch who walks around with a sign of her powers that people can see all the time. When her hair goes mousy when she's usually kept it pink, it's like Harry can see her "power" light isn't on. (At the same time, she does retain her basic magic power, so it's not like she becomes useless. She just telegraphs that powers can be lost this way. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the whole reason for giving her the power. At the same time, Tonks is not losing her powers over lost love. She's lost her powers because she's worried she *will* lose someone she loves. And that's the other storyline she's illuminating, which is the Draco one. When I first read HBP for a while I wondered if Voldemort hadn't put some sort of wasting-away curse on the Black family. Turns out it wasn't genetic, except that Tonks had inherited the Black gene for suffering operatically. Harry does specifically connect Tonks and Draco the second time he notices Draco's physical decline, saying he's lost weight "like Tonks." Ultimately they are deteriorating for the same reason, worry that they will lose their loved ones. (Though of course Draco's also worried about himself, and got other issues.)
Anyway, that's my defense of the Tonks storyline, or at least what I think it's doing there. It's kind of reflecting a lot of minor issues about other storylines, and presenting certain technical things that are important elsewhere.
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Yes! I haven't paid attention to this before, but may be the comparison was supposed to be a hint what Draco is afraid of before the scenes on the Tower and in the bathroom.
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I agree with this 100%. It's just that I see it reflecting other issues and presenting a different set of technical issues.
Because to me it was also clear that this storyline is still a mystery and hasn't been resolved yet (loved that old post you linked to, btw). And that Tonks is under Imperius. Or a love potion. Or being blackmailed in order to protect her other family members.
Or something else. I can't figure out exactly what it is -- I think that's one of the mysteries that will be cleared up in DH -- but I will eat my hat if it was really just her pining for Lupin. The law of narrative conservation would suggest that Tonks is a metamorphagus for a reason. And a member of the Black family for a reason. And that we got all the info at the start of HBP about recognizing victims of Imperius for a reason.
AND THE REASON IS TONKS! (Funnily enough, pre-HBP Amalin wrote a fic that anticipated a lot of this.)
So perhaps the reason Tonks and Draco both look wasted is probably because at various points Tonks was metamorphaging into Draco. Hence all the scenes where their paths overlap. (Also: remember how Draco mentions Greyback to Borgin in order to threaten him? And then how Tonks' Patronus turned into a wolf?) I can't figure out the whole story yet but clearly there is something there. Didn't JKR herself say that the Tonks storyline was a red herring? The question is just what it was a red herring for, I think.
Anyway, I have a post of DH predictions (HARRY IS A HORCRUX! DUDLEY IS MAGICAL! etc.) that I will put up at some point, and TONKS WASN'T REALLY AFTER LUPIN is definitely one of them. Probably the Death Eaters see Lupin as a weak link (which, let's be honest, he is: remember that his Marauder buddies thought the exact same thing), and so he is useful for that reason. I dunno. All I know that the truth is not what we see!
*insert raving conspiracy theories and much mouth-frothing here*
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And in terms of the Merope Gaunt storyline, it gives it a positive spin, which I think is a good thing. Slytherins are so emotional, but every time we've actually seen them get ridiculously emotionally attached to something, it's been in a negative way (Mrs. Black's insanity over the loss of her children, Merope Gaunt's dying and using a LP, even Draco's connection to his mother caused him to attempt to hex Harry from the back), I guess to keep people thinking Slytherin's this bad house (except for Slughorn's attachment to Lily, I guess). But with Tonks and Remus, you have a Gryffindor who's hiding behind all these high moral reasons from something everyone can recognize he shouldn't be hiding from, and a "Slytherin"(sorta) who's doing the right thing by being absolutely unable to let go. It's the upside of that selfish Slytherin ambition. :)
And that reflects Harry and Ginny as well, I think, because they got together despite the fact that everything about it was completely immoral (Ginny's younger, she's his best friend's little sister, he's thinking thses lustful thoughts about her), and yet, it was a good thing they did (at least for Harry, which...well, it's JKR). But then they broke up over these moral issues. Which I guess isn't really better or worse than Tonks and Remus, but it does provide that contrast, and give you the downside of Gryffindor. I feel as though a lot of book six was about finally recognizing that Slytherin's selfish ambition really is very close to passion, and that passion is not necessarily a bad thing to have.
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Would you email your superb paper on DM that you read at PR? It really was delightful: pir8fancier@gmail.com. And if you don't want to, cool as well
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On that I think it's more just something that's cool. But even then it was only the cool thing in OOTP. It was used for other purposes in HBP, like you say, so maybe there will be some bigger reason for her having the power in DH. It certainly seems like her ability to disguise could be a major plot point.
As far as criticism of Tonks I don't care at all about Remus/Tonks or that plot line, beyond being happy for the characters if they're happy. But Tonks, like all the prominent female characters, aside from McGonagall, seems to be criticized quite harshly in fandom by women. I know I posted on that before but it's as if women aren't happy if the female characters act in ways they themselves wouldn't. Ginny's a slut for going out with a few guys. Tonks is weak because of Remus. Molly isn't a good role-model for not choosing to have a career. Hermione acts completely OOC for dealing with Ron/Lavender badly. Cho is a bitch for going out with Harry.
All while horrible men are romanticized. There seems to be a lot of self-misogyny in this fandom.
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*facepalm*
I'm wondering why you consider Tonks a Slytherin?? haha, I was very surprised-- I simply cannot picture Slytherin!Tonks-- and indeed, lo and behold, she's quite far from it (http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/faq_view.cfm?id=117). ;) Yo, Hufflepuff represent! Tonks never seemed ambitious to me at all, unsurprisingly for a Hufflepuff I guess :> Besides, I think any House member could be 'unable to let go', just for different reasons-- just look at Harry in HBP (or Hermione in OoTP, or Sirius in PoA and beforehand, Ginny pretty much since book 1, haha-- gotta love those obsessive Gryffs), there's all the proof you need that Gryffindors aren't so good at letting go either. They just 'can't let go' of different things; Ravenclaws would be like Luna with their pet theories, Gryffindors like Harry with their quests for justice/whatever, and Hufflepuffs would probably just be hardworking and dedicated. Slytherins would probably not let go either, of things like vengeance or glory, perhaps. Ahem. ;) Just kidding, they also have problems letting go of resentments or old slights (Snape and Draco), family traumas (Voldy) and a cushy job opportunity (Slughorn, against his better judgment) :D
Also: I can't believe Ginny being a year younger than Harry at ages 16 and 15 respectively when they first kissed would raise anyone's eyebrows even in Amish-land. Perhaps especially in Amish-land. o_0 Having 'lustful thoughts' isn't abnormal or indeed 'immoral' for teenage boys, only for teenage girls-- or so say those helpful 50s instructional booklets. According to those wondrous purveyors of old-fashioned morality such as 'Ms Manners' and her ilk, boys are naturally blessed with raging hormones (awww?) and it's therefore the girl's job to fend off her amorous suitor with firm protestations and pure white gloves (or possibly a bib?) If you go in for that sort of thing, which I don't see evidence of JKR doing, what with the gleeful descriptions of wet-kissy Lavender and such :> Introducing the 'younger sister of best mate' aspect only makes Harry himself uncomfortable-- it's not a moral issue (ie, something that would make others out of sorts in any way), and Ron seems more than fine with it. The reason he's uncomfortable is plainly stated in canon to be the pure... awkwardness of telling Ron and just making the sudden transition and is played up for comic relief for several chapters in HBP.
Also, umm, from what I can remember, their breaking up had absolutely nothing to do with why they got together, so I'm rather lost. o_0 Harry very clearly said that he's breaking up with her because of the war. Here, I'll quote from my handy-dandy HBP text file! :>
'Ginny, listen ...' he said very quietly, as the buzz of conversation grew louder around them and people began to get to their feet. 'I can't be involved with you any more. We've got to stop seeing each other. We can't be together.'
She said, with an oddly twisted smile, 'It's for some stupid, noble reason, isn't it?'
'It's been like ... like something out of someone else's life, these last few weeks with you,' said Harry. 'But 1 can't ... we can't ... I've got things to do alone now.'
She did not cry, she simply looked at him,
'Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to. He's already used you as bait once, and that was just because you're my best friend's sister. Think how much danger you'll be in if we keep this up. He'll know, he'll find out. He'll try and get to me through you.'
'What if I don't care?' said Ginny fiercely.
'I care,' said Harry. 'How do you think I'd feel if this was your funeral ... and it was my fault ...'
Voila! :D Poor Harry & his 'stupid noble reasons'. Awwww. And now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to go wash the bad taste in my mouth from defending the morality of Harry/Ginny, ahahah. :>
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I mean, let's trot out some cliches here: she's a spunky, spirited, lively and mischievous attractive woman. He's a gentle, unassuming, soft-spoken yet firm man, sort of a Giles type (*groans at self*). He's bookish yet subtly tormented, she's enthusiastic and around him long enough at Grimmauld to 'get to know' him a little bit in snatches, to see a little past his shabby surface to the sparkling depths beneath. Or something. It's like... oh god almighty, it's like Jane Eyre. -.-
That said, I HATE Remus/Tonks. I mean. I hate it. I can just see what JKR was thinking, is all. ^^; She writes pretty cliche romance (H/G, J/L, R/Hr-- it all fits a pattern), and R/T fits that pattern of opposites attracting to a T. It's like... I want to let you down gently, or something. I'll eat MY hat if Harry & Ginny, Ron & Hermione, and Remus & Tonks aren't all together and alive at the end of book 7, and oh btw with babies coming in the epilogue. It's just. Plot, I'm sure to be surprised by. But JKR's characterization is gloomily consistent, once you get into her framework. Many people think they see her framework (with regards to Draco, say) when they don't, but it's all a question of not projecting and just picking up on little cues. That said, I have NO IDEA what the cues say about Draco overall, aside from him being important to put all the Hogwarts Houses in harmony again, to make Harry reconsider Slytherins and to provide a connection to Purebloods and the Blacks all in one go (among other things), so whatever happens will probably serve those purposes (meaning, he too is unlikely to die, and will probably marry Pansy, since she has no other obvious purpose and the hair-stroking on the train was so typical of JKR's style of giving 'clues' to romances).
So basically, unlikely as it is, Dudley may very well be magical-- because it's a plot point, not a characterization point. And Harry may be a horcrux, though JKR said the Sorting Hat isn't one 'cause they are never that obvious & public, and Harry is quite public, haha-- but he may be. It's just that I agree with Sister M in that Tonks really is there as a consolation prize for Remus. Who therefore won't die. Well, it would just be too cruel to kill Remus, too, and he needs -something- no that Sirius is gone and he's even shabbier, haha. And who better than Ms Joie-de-vivre herself, etc. ^^;
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LET ME TELL YOU HOW IT IS BEBEH
I don't know why folks don't find this more interesting. I think it's awesome. I think the final showdown will happen either at Hogwarts or 4 Privet Drive. Petunia is going to be crucial, man!
Also, Harry is a Horcrux. Why *else* would his scar connect him to Voldemort? Again, the rule of narrative conservation applies, especially at the end of a series. This also explains why the prophecy from OOTP is so ambiguously worded -- Harry has to die in order to kill Voldemort. (Remember, also, that his willingness to die is what separates him from the flight-from-death Dark Lord in the first place. Probably Harry will have to travel through the veil and be helped out by Sirius, who gives up his own half-life in return, and Harry will come back with no magic at all.)
And the reason Harry became a Horcrux is that a Horcrux is made by taking another's life unwillingly, and so when Lily sacrificed herself and gave up her life, it fucked up the contractual nature of the magic. Ergo: Harry is a Horcrux and the Killing Curse rebounded on Voldie. Obviously.
And OBVIOUSLY TONKS IS UNDER SOMEONE ELSE'S CONTROL. How else to explain all the clues I mentioned? HBP isn't sloppily written at all -- if we were talking about OOTP I might relent here, but HBP is very tight. Too tight, if you ask me, but that's another issue.
The argument about romantic types doesn't really work for me because we've seen so many different kinds of couples in canon. Actually, I think a lot of this is projection of the JKR-is-a-sucky-human-being-and-writer type. I don't actually think that she has a particular romantic agenda, except that she prefers sparks and friction (Ron/Hermione, James/Lilly, even Molly/Arthur) over easy compatibility. And, you know, I hate Harry/Ginny but plotwise it works -- it's made perfect sense ever since CoS.
Anyway, I agree that Remus isn't going to die. Neither is Lucius. Because they're both fucking cockroaches -- they've already proved that they both can survive anything, it's just that Remus does so with a lot more passive-aggression and self-pity. It's just good dramatic irony ... Remus was the one destined to live the shortest life, because of his "illness," so instead he outlives all the Marauders (since Pettigrew is going to kick the bucket, no question -- probably by protecting Harry and killing Greyback with his silver hand).
And I don't know if Draco will live, but he will definitely be redeemed. There is zero question in my mind about that. Not because I'm projecting but because JKR believes in redemption and she wouldn't have spent all this time creating a major character for him to simply be as one-dimensional as Harry perceived him up until HBP. He's the Snape of the younger generation, and like Snape, Harry spent most of the books mistrusting him. But given that Harry is already relenting towards Draco, some sort of reconciliation -- if not buttfucking -- is guaranteed to occur.
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Re: *facepalm*
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hehe :D
'I'll t-tell Dad!' Dudley whimpered. 'W-where are you? What are you d-do—?'
'Will you shut up?' Harry hissed, 'I'm trying to lis— '
But he fell silent. He had heard just the thing he had been dreading.
There was something in the alleyway apart from themselves, something that was drawing long, hoarse, rattling breaths. Harry felt a horrible jolt of dread as he stood trembling in the freezing air.
'C-cut it out! Stop doing it! I'll h-hit you, I swear I will!'
'Dudley, shut — '
WHAM.
A fist made contact with the side of Harry's head, lifting him off his feet. Small white lights popped in front of his eyes. For the second time in an hour Harry felt as though his head had been cleaved in two; next moment, he had landed hard on the ground and his wand had flown out of his hand.
'You moron, Dudley!' Harry yelled, his eyes watering with pain as he scrambled to his hands and knees, feeling around frantically n the blackness. He heard Dudley blundering away, hitting the alley fence, stumbling.
'DUDLEY, COME BACK! YOU'RE RUNNING RIGHT AT IT!'
There was a horrible squealing yell and Dudley's footsteps topped. At the same moment, Harry felt a creeping chill behind him that could mean only one thing. There was more than one.
So. Dudley could feel the dread/panic and he 'perceived' blackness, but he was 'running right at it', which... even in a panic, seems unlikely. :> Is there other evidence he could see them?
I think there's a Big Important Reason his scar connects him to Vody, and being a Horcrux is, I suppose, one of the possibilities, but I believe there was an explanation or guess by Dumbledore or-- something to the effect of the connection being a result of the botched spell siphoning off some of Voldy's powers into Harry, giving him things like Parseltongue and the dreams. I think the problem with Harry 'being' a Horcrux is largely the nature of Horcruxes-- they're manifestations of Voldy's soul, things infused with power. Harry, however, isn't 'usable' because he's a person with free will, so he can be given powers and he can be affected by dark emotions, and he can see things, sure, but he's not a repository in the sense that... all these things aren't separate from him, exactly, it's not like a split personality the way McCoy had a split 'Spock' personality of sorts in Star Trek IV, to go all geek on you. It's possible to tell where Voldy's influence may have been present during OoTP, but that's irrevocably tangled up with Harry's own emotions and reactions.
The thing is, a Horcrux is a piece of intentional magic, and whatever side-effect of Avada Kedavra gone wrong Harry experienced isn't the same thing because it was unintentional. I do not think Voldy would intentionally give his own nemesis some of his own power or a window into his mind if he could've stopped it-- even though it gives a window back, that's a bit too future-oriented and secondly his own vulnerability is way too high. It's not enough to take a life, I assume you have to actively bind the soul-bit to a specific object of meaning to the caster, because things like the diary weren't random things he'd have on hand or whatever. It's the old fairy-tale trick of Kaschei the Immortal hiding his soul in a needle inside an egg inside the tree at the edge of the world, etc. :>
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Re: *facepalm*
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Meaning, I think there could be a secondary 'plot' reason for what happened with Tonks, but this doesn't have to contradict her being with Remus. Besides, that would really hurt Remus (if it wasn't real) and I don't think JKR would be that mean to him :>
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I'll just be sitting over here, post-DH, gently reminding you I was right ;) *coughs* Let's make a date for a month from now, then :D Same bat time, same bat channel :> :>
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I've always interpreted a certain amount of misogyny in the books (which I guess would automatically fall under 'self-misogyny', the author being a woman.)
Which isn't to excuse it being perpetuated in fandom, and to far greater extents at times, but fandoms aren't vaccuums.
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PS:
- James 'bullies'/pursues/pesters Lily until he wears her down (and ummm, there too I've heard the 'love potion' ideas)
- Ron 'bullies'/antagonizes/annoys Hermione during most of the books
- Hermione all out hexes Ron in HBP, is clearly pushing him to ask her out if he wasn't so blind, and is generally being very obvious especially in HBP
- Molly seriously dominates and bosses her husband around, too.
:D
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Re: hehe :D
Other evidence -- Dumbledore's letter to Petunia in OOTP: REMEMBER MY LAST! What was it? Dudley's Hogwarts letter, maybe? Also, Dumbledore accuses Petunia and Vernon of abusing Dudley in HBP. Neither Dudley or Harry understands that one, because neither realize that Dudley's parents won't let him fulfill his fate as a wizard.
Also, Petunia and Vernon's hateful treatment of freakishness becomes more understandable and sympathetic when you realize that they are trying to protect their son from what they see as a dangerous world.
Finally, JKR has said at different points that someone would be performing magic later in life, and that it wouldn't be Petunia.
...
About the Horcrux: Everything you just wrote supports my argument! LOL
I believe there was an explanation or guess by Dumbledore or-- something to the effect of the connection being a result of the botched spell siphoning off some of Voldy's powers into Harry, giving him things like Parseltongue and the dreams.
Yes. And that botched spell would be ... a Horcrux!
Of course Voldemort didn't want it to pass anything of himself onto Harry, and of course the magic would be fucked up for having been passed on to a living thing and not an inanimate object (although don't forget that Nagini is also a Horcrux). Harry became a Horcrux because the magic to create one got reversed upon itself when Lily gave up her life willingly. And it had all sorts of unintentional side effects.
With Voldemort's usual flair for the obvious, he probably wanted to make the Gryffindor Hogwarts relic (which I am guessing is the sword) into a Horcrux when he killed Harry. Obviously this didn't succeed because of the aforementioned reasons and the magic rebounded onto Harry himself. This is important because we know that one of the Horcruxes was Gryffindor's and JKR has said several times that the line from CoS about Harry being a "true Gryffindor" is very important to the future plot, and that Harry is, however, not the "heir of Gryffindor," so it means something else.
ADMIT IT BABY MY LOGIC IS WATERTIGHT AND YOU LOVE IT
I'm so tired my eyes are crossing -- g'night!
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Re: PS:
Anyway, James doesn't bully Lily into dating him -- as Remus and Sirius point out, he has to grow up and prove himself to her. I don't consider Ron and Hermione to be bullying each other either. Acting like utter twats, sure, but not bullying. And Molly is bossy but I doubt she cried on Arthur's doorstep every day until he agreed to marry her, the way Tonks did to Remus. I mean, she basically emotionally manipulated Remus into dating her.
I guess she's closer to Merope than Lavender. :D
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Re: PS:
I AM SO CONVINCED R/T IS FOR REAL I JUST WANT IT TO MAKE SENSE :( WOE :(
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I mean, other than the fact he gives in, have we seen *any* sign of interest from him? JKR put in enough hints for mutual attraction for Bill/Fleur, Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, blah blah blah, so why not Remus?
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I agree there's more here than we currently understand, which is why I dearly hope their relationship gets expanded upon in book 7, though I'm not at all sure we will. It'd be nice :> I am sort of saying 'I can see where Tonks is coming from, and I can see where Remus might like her, why she might remind him of Sirius, why he might need a distraction but won't allow himself one', etc. So all this is rampant speculation whereas canon itself only offers the barest of back-up, really. But I'm inclined to think it'll follow the pattern of other romances in that even if they're useful to the plot, they're 'real' on a basic level, y'know? Also, Remus really does need someone :>